Hi~ Glad to see you guys again! As I promised before, I make the sequel of 'Akaya is Sick'. FINALLY I CAN MAKE IT! :D

Warning: Yaoi, Grammar Un-guaranteed, OOC, Lots of caps lock.

Disclaimer : TeniPuri is belong to Takeshi Konomi.

Enjoy, and hope you like it!

Steps To Romance

Chapter 1 : When a Lover Goes Silent

Rikkaidai Tennis Clubhouse

Sanada and Yukimura sitting in front of each other, with a table between them, and a scrap-filled paper in the top of it.

"So, for the Kantou tournament, we put Niou and Yagyuu in the position of 'doubles 1'." Yukimura wrote in the paper. "Then Marui and Jackal in the 'doubles 2'. How about it?" He looked at his vice captain.

"I don't mind though. They both strong after all." Sanada said, his arms folded. "I think there's not much problem in doubles."

"So let's think about the Singles position..." Yukimura muttered, tapping tip of his mechanic pencil to his lips. "You want the Singles 1?"

"Thanks, but you're worth it more." Sanada said. "You better in Singles 1. I don't mind you put me in Singles 2."

In this condition, orders sure matters, huh? Yukimura smiled. "Okay then..." He wrote in the paper. "You in the Singles 2, and I in the 1. Who's going to take the Singles 3?"

"I'm sure Akaya want to take part on it." Sanada muttered. "He keep insist all day long."

"Let me ask him first." Yukimura turned around, to see him. "Hey, dude over here?"

"..."

"Hello?"

"..."

"Renji?"

"..."

"From earth to Renji. Repeat, earth to Renji. 'Ello?"

The said person is completely ignoring the buchou's call.

"You want me to call him?" Sanada asked.

...You will YELL on him. "No need. He's too absorbed to his own problem, I think." Yukimura said, smiled.

Now, Renji is sitting in the chair, gazed at somewhere (or probably someone) outside the window.

Then he exhale a breath get up from his chair.

The data master walk to a corner and sulking there.

After that, he will stand up and walk in circles.

Then he walked again to the same chair and sit there, and stare at the same direction.

Then Renji get up again from his chair and will repeat all the process...

….AN INSANITY PROBLEM!? Sanada seems to lost his patience.

"Well..." Yukimura rolled his eyes. "..Sort of kind of.."

Sanada looked at his captain, confused. "..What do you mean by that?"

"Renji is... in love with someone."

"..With who?"

"Guess who?" Yukimura said. "He's the only person who dare enough to challenge the three of us last year."

It take some time for the vice-captain to process.

1 second...

3...

8...

A minute...

Sanada's eyes widened.

"WHHAAAATTTTTT!?"

Yukimura, Renji, and everyone from 2 kilometers radius flinched as the Emperor screamed as loud as he can, make the ground shaking for a while.

"Geni, shaddup! You're damn too loud!" Yukimura cover his ears and scold. "You're going to break my eardrums here!"

After done screaming, Sanada fell silent, catch his breath for a while as he felt his throat getting sore. Then he turned and walk to Renji with wide eyes.

"YOU HAD A CRUSH WITH THAT AKAYA!?" He screamed in Renji's ears, make the data master pushed and fall from his chair.

"Yes." Renji said calmly as he sat on the floor. I think I am.

Yukimura try to cover his mouth from laughing.

Renji look at his captain with confusion. "Something funny with the way I talk?"

"Well, I don't mean to insult, but..." Yukimura chuckled again. "It's just... kinda weird to heard that kind of talk from your mouth, Renji."

"... …. that weird?" He raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah.." Yukimura said. "Usually, all you said is something logical and calculated. And now here you are, talking about an illogical things like 'love'. How unexpected to see the great Data Master is fall in love with Rikkai's 'baby'." The Demigod chuckled again.

Renji stare at his buchou for a while, then looked away, back to the window.

"Well, you guys seems already know about it, huh...?" Sanada said, and suddenly he stomped angrily. "But why I'm the only one who DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS!?"

Renji and Seiichi looked at each other. And Seiichi spoke.

"Actually, 2 years ago..."

Flashback

Seiichi, Sanada, and Renji sat in a round table in the nearest cafe, complete with their yellow and black tennis shirt.

"Guys, congratulations on our first champion in the Nationals!" Seiichi said, raises his glass filled with orange juice.

"CHEERS!"

-clink!-

And they drink.

"Ahh... How happy I am..." Seiichi threw his head to the back. "The exam is gone already, and the best part is when we've got a gold medal in the end..."

"Still, don't slack off, Seii." Sanada muttered.

"Sanada, relax a little, will you.." Seiichi grumbled. "You know how much I-"

"What?" Sanada asked at the sudden stop. "What is it?"

"..Look at that, guys..."

"Uh?" Renji and Sanada take a look.

Few meters, not far from where the Rikkai boys sit, there's a couple, male and female, walking and holding hands.

"They looked so sweet, isn't~?" Yukimura smiled and clasped his hands.

"NO."

"Eh?" Yukimura looked at Sanada. "But why..?"

"Because it's useless." Sanada

Yukimura's eyes widen. "...What?"

"AND YOU KNOW tHEY DID MUSHY THINGS TOGETHER, THEY SAID AS 'ROMANTIC THING'? KISSING, HUGGING, AND SUCH?"

"Geni-"

"THAT'S COMPLETELY FOOLISH!"

And the Emperor's last word leave Renji with a 'what-the-heck-is-that' face and a broken-hearted Seiichi.

"So, since that moment, Renji and I decided that we wouldn't talk about anything related to romantic thing, dates, and such a thing with you." Yukimura nodded.

Sanada raise an eyebrow, confused. "..Why?"

"YOU KNOW WHAT!?" Yukimura stomped angrily to Sanada and put his finger in front of his fukubuchou's nose. "LOVE IS PURE, YOU KNOW? EVERYONE IS YEARNING FOR LOVE! EVERYBODY IN THE WORLD IS PRAISE FOR LOVE! DO YOU KNOW THAT?"

Sanada don't move and still stand in his place with fear.

"EVERYBODY NEEDS LOVE! EVERYBODY WANTS TO BE LOVED! AND THAT'S HOW YOU BORN, GENI!"

Renji even doubt if the emperor is still breathing.

Now I wonder if it's good enough to talk with them about my crush...

"NOW, RENJI!" Yukimura turned his attention to the Data master.

Renji flinched as he felt the Demigod clasp Renji's hands together with his own.

"AS YOUR CAPTAIN, GOOD FRIEND, AND TEAMMATE, I'M WILLING TO HELP YOUR ROMANCE WITH THAT KID!"

"Er.. His name is Akaya." Renji corrected.

"Oh. So you remember."

….Of course I am... Renji sweat dropped. "I really felt grateful, but I think-"

"WETHER YOU WANT IT OR NOT."

"..."

"Genichirou!" Yukimura said loudly. "ASSEMBLE THE MINIONS!"

"Yes, sir!" The obedient vice quickly run out of the clubhouse.

"..."

Even Kyouju wouldn't be able to say a thing.

To Be Continued

...Kinda weird for a starter, eh? /

The flashback part come when I read about Sanada in Prince of Tennis Fanbook 40.5 (if I don't mistaken), said that Sanada think date is foolish.

Thank you for reading, and please review! :)